Corfu, Greece: 4 Day Itinerary

A perfect mix of nature, Greek and Venetian Old Town charm, camping and luxury, and culture, Corfu has it all.

The sunset above is completely unedited, unfiltered. That is truly just how beautiful Corfu is, not to mention the lush landscapes contrasting the crystal-clear water.

It was our first time in Greece, and I don’t think Corfu gave a particularly “Greek island” vibe. It felt like it could have been a neighboring country, as it wasn’t the picture most people have in mind when they think of Greece.

My husband and I paired Corfu with the Amalfi Coast in Italy! We flew out of Naples and into Corfu.

We did not have a car in Corfu, which made us limited with where we could go on the island. There are buses (green and blue) that run frequently, with green going from the city center to other parts of the island and blue going within the city. If you wanted to get from the west side of the island to the north, chances are you would have to ride the green bus to the city and then switch buses there. It felt complicated to get around the island without a car, so I would recommend one, but it is not totally necessary. We only used public transportation!

Bus website: https://greenbuses.gr/routes-en

Here was our itinerary, and suggestions to what I would have done differently:

Day 5: If you have an extra day, I recommend taking the ferry over to Albania. Or, excursion to Antipaxos.

Day 1: Paleokastritsa, La Grotta bar

Day 1 of Corfu was day 6 of our vacation. Since we were camping along the Amalfi Coast, we took a ferry to Naples (unexpected layover in Capri). Then Naples port to the airport via Alibus.

Fly Naples to Corfu.

Hop on bus from Corfu airport to the bus terminal. This was super easy to find, as we walked out of the airport and it was immediately to our left. You can pay with cash while walking onto the bus.

To get just about anywhere else on the island, you will need to get off the airport bus at Corfu’s Central Bus Station. From there, you can take a Green bus going to wherever you need to go.

We switched to a Green bus going to Paleokastritsa at the central bus station. We got off at the bus stop for our campsite, Camping Paleokastritsa.

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My first thought when I saw this campsite was, wow so many olive trees! We were taken to our tent, which is shaded by the olive trees. The camp ground was very clean and people were very respectful of each other.

The camp site was close enough that we walked to just about everywhere. You can take the bus to the beaches if you prefer since there is a bus stop outside of the campground.

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Walk to La Grotta Bar. This is a famous bar that you can also swim at!

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Eat dinner at Spiros Taverna, where Greek food is celebrated. We shared an entire chicken on a platter of rice and fries.

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Day 2: Paleokastritsa Beaches, Sunset Sail

Waking up under the olive trees was a beautiful way to start the day. They smelled amazing.

Walk to a nearby coffee shop. We tried Greek Coffee, which was quite strong, but very flavorful.

Our goal for the day was to relax at the beaches!

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Continuing our walk, we pass many restaurants, shops, and beaches. Paleokastritsa was more commercialized than I expected it to be. It honestly is not what I pictured at all. Quite busy but not high end. I was picturing it to be more deserted and it was the oppostie.

I had my eyes set on the famous Paleokastritsa beach. Which, honestly, was very underwhelming. We might have been there on just a super busy day in August, but I didn’t find it inviting. The view from the beach looking out to the water was nice, but the behind you is a parking lot. It was so crowded, and it wasn’t the vibe I was expecting. It felt junky. We left to explore the other, smaller beaches.

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Eat lunch & dessert at Nereids Restaurant. We had traditional greek food here, consisting of a gyro platter and seafood. And of course, finished with coffee & cashew mousse with a chocolate ganache.

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The beaches around this town were rocky and the water was a beautiful blue. I think the beaches overall were underwhelming, but we gave them all a chance, and swam. There were multiple beach clubs with chairs to rent along the beaches. Get there early enough to even get the chance to rent a beach chair! Or reserve ahead of time.

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(If I could redo our beach day, I would have either taken the bus to Ponto Timoni this day (because it was a Saturday and we tried to go on Sunday, which gives limited bus options), or walked/taken a taxi down to Limni Beach. Limni Beach is a double sided beach that is really beautiful. There are other nearby beaches that I would have rather explored than the ones closest to Paleokastritsa Beach.)

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Cruise around Corfu on a Sunset Sail. Andrew and I were walking along the town’s main street when we came across a sign for the sunset sail tonight. We didn’t read any reviews or question it at all, so I wasn’t expecting much because I had zero knowledge of the company or reviews.

This sunset sail saved our day. Complete with wine and a very warm, welcoming group, it was a highlight of the trip. We were given a tour of multiple caves and the flint cave pictured below. We even had some visitors (the goats)! The sunset was so amazing, the guide was taking pictures of it. (No filters on any pictures below!) I’m sure any company will give you a similar experience during the sunset sail. I can’t remember the company name to recommend them.

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Day 3: Boat to Paradise Beach, Old Town

This day was supposed to be our Ponto Timoni hiking day, which is actually one of the reasons we wanted to go to Corfu. However, since it was a Sunday, the buses were not running and taxis were difficult and expensive. Not realizing how shut down everything was on Sunday was a fatal mistake on my part.

However, it was a perfect day. We received a discount on all other tours from the company we booked for the sunset sail the night prior. So, we took a boat out to Paradise Beach, which is only accessible by boat. It was beautiful and a highlight.

We were there for a couple hours, and the boat came back whenever we wanted it to.

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Off to Corfu Old Town! We took the Green Bus to the other side of the island to spend 2 nights in the Old Town.

Experiencing a Corfu Rain Downfall was quite the experience. All tourists and locals huddled under a few umbrellas, laughing at how hard it was raining. Leaving the town with a sparking hue.

It had an Italian look and feel to it, since the Venetians ruled here some time ago. It felt like Venice without the canals.

Lined with shops, olive wood, and Greek smells, we wandered around the freshly rain coated streets.

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Dinner at Taverna Ninos for traditional Greek food. This restaurant is highly rated, and we got there just in time to get a seat. We had envious eyes on us and our food.

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Day 4: Corfu: Old Town

This was supposed to be our day trip to Albania day. I thought the ferry to Albania was quick and cheap, but it ended up not working out for us. I was motion sick from all of the boats and ferries, which is very unlike me. So a total of 4 hours on the ferry to and from Albania was very difficult for me to think about. We also loved Corfu Old Town, a lot more than we expected, and wanted more time to to explore it.

(If you have an extra day in Corfu Old Town, I would recommend taking the ferry to Albania. I wanted to then take a bus down to Ksamil to explore the beaches of the Albanian Riviera!)

So, we started our day at Favela 17 for coffee and red velvet pancakes. Yes, red velvet pancakes. 100/10.

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Kumquats to Corfu are lemons to Italy. We tried some from a local shop, and the worker told us to just eat the whole thing. The inside is so bitter that you need the rind to make it sweeter.

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Walk to the fortresss. It does have an entry fee, so we opted to not go in.

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Walk along the coast line and the lovely Greek streets.

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Check out the Pentofanaro, filled with restaurants and shops.

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Lemonade and coffee at Stazei Mali amongst the dazzling street and hanging vines.

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Dinner for gyros and cheese fries.

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Drinks at the Puppet Bar for “quirky drinks & rare tunes.”

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The next morning, we took the blue bus from Old Town to the airport. It is quite easy to use the buses and you can pay the bus driver for your ticket.

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August 24-28, 2023

GRAB GELATO & GO